Course Description: Diversity Basics: Foundations

Unlock the power of a truly inclusive workplace with "Diversity Basics: Foundations," an essential introductory course designed to build your understanding of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from the ground up.

Have you ever wondered what "diversity" truly means and how it impacts your professional and personal life? This foundational course demystifies the core concepts of DEI, providing you with the knowledge and tools to foster a healthier, more human-centred, and productive environment. Committing to a workplace that welcomes diversity benefits everyone and promotes better business outcomes.

What You Will Learn:

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the key principles of DEI. Through 9 engaging lessons, you will explore crucial topics and gain actionable insights.

• Understand Core DEI Concepts: Gain a solid grasp of what Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion mean and why they are vital for a healthy workplace. Learn the crucial difference between equity and equality, recognising that equity provides the specific resources people need to succeed.
• Explore the Cycle of Socialization: Discover how we are socialised from birth and how our upbringing, culture, and institutions shape our worldview, biases, and behaviours.
• Recognise and Unlearn Bias: Learn to identify both conscious and unconscious bias and understand their dangerous consequences in the workplace, such as stifled creativity, unfair evaluations, and static hiring. You'll explore how unchecked bias can escalate, as illustrated by the "Pyramid of Hate".
• Identity and Intersectionality: Examine how our unique and overlapping identities (like race, gender, age, and ability) affect how we navigate the world. This course introduces Kimberlé Crenshaw's concept of intersectionality to explain how the combination of multiple identities creates unique experiences of discrimination.
• Develop Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Discover the critical role of empathy in DEI work. You will learn about the three types of empathy—cognitive, emotional, and compassionate—and learn how compassionate empathy translates understanding into meaningful action.
• Identify Systems of Oppression: Gain awareness of systemic issues like racism, sexism, ableism, and classism. Understand how these systems are perpetuated on individual, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels.
• Dismantle Unjust Systems: Learn practical ways to contribute to dismantling systems of oppression by promoting social justice, which aims for the full and equitable participation of all people in society.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Define and articulate key DEI concepts with confidence.
• Recognise how your own background and socialisation fit into the broader society.
• Contribute meaningfully to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in your workplace.

This course is an opportunity for profound personal and professional growth. By understanding yourself and others better, you'll be equipped to take action and support diversity initiatives, fostering an environment where everyone feels they belong.

Enrol today to begin your journey toward creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world.